sharbat-e sekanjabin recipe (persian sweet and sour mint and cucumber drink)
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Recipe type: drink
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 7 cups water (possibly more, depending on your desired sweetness)
  • ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup fresh mint, loosely packed
  • 3 Persian cucumbers, grated
Instructions
  1. Mix 1 cup of water and 2 cups of sugar in a small saucepan. Dissolve over low heat, then boil for 10 minutes.
  2. After boil, add vinegar to saucepan. Turn heat down to simmer and cook to thick for 20 minutes. Check consistency of the liquid during cooking time. When it starts to look thicker than water, then it's done. If you cook it to maple syrup thickness in the pan, it will end up being more thick as it cools, and harder to dilute with water.
  3. Take pan off heat, stir in the mint, and allow to cool to room temperature.
  4. When cool, remove mint. Mix syrup with 6 cups of water. Taste and see if you need to add more water. Some people like this drink very sweet; others prefer less so and with a splash of seltzer water for fizz. Chill the mixture before serving.
  5. Add ice and grated cucumbers to each glass, pour diluted syrup into each.
  6. Alternative for the syrup, undiluted: serve syrup as an appetizer with fresh, crisp lettuce leaves for dipping.
  7. You can also make a version with honey, replacing the sugar with about half as much honey.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/drink-recipes/sharbat-e-sekanjabin/